New here and would like some advice regarding my test results. To cut a long story short i had very low levels of B12 (91) and iron a couple of months ago when i was pregnant, and am now on injections every 3 months for b12. (No longer taking iron tablets) Have not been diagnosed with Pernicious Anemia as test came back negative but still need injections as i have been told. Anyway as i have been feeling out of sorts lately (which may be due to B12 as i was late having my injection) i decided to have some tests carried out via medichecks, which included a test to check my thyroid, iron and vitamin D. Here are my results and i would be grateful for any input/ advice and if i need further tests. I was advised by the doctor from medi checks that all was normal apart from vitamin D which is low and i have been advised to start supplementing. However i posted my results on the Pernicious Anemia website and was told that there may be a problem with thyroid function, and was advised to post here for comments. Just to note that I am a real worrier and very anxious regarding my health 😣 Have used 'Dr google' many times and have worried myself silly! I had a baby 4 months ago so hormones probably still all over the place too! Thank you.
Iron status:
Iron - 15.64 umol/l (R. 5.8 - 34.5)
TIBC - 51.14 umol/l (R. 45 - 72)
UIBC - 35.5 umol/l (R. 24.2 - 70.1)
Transferrin Saturation - 30.58% (R. 20 - 50)
Ferritin- 88.9 ug/l (R.13 - 150)
Thyroid:
TSH - 0.901 miu/l (R. 0.27 - 4.2)
Free Tyhyroxine - 12.3 pmol/l (R. 12 - 22)
Vitamin D was 37.3 nmol/l which they said was low. I have bought supplements.
B12 was high but to be expected as i have had injections in recent past.
Thanks again.
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Aly2
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Which Medichecks test did you do? I think there should be a Free T3 result as well. Were thyroid antibodies tested too?
TSH - 0.901 miu/l (R. 0.27 - 4.2)
Free Tyhyroxine - 12.3 pmol/l (R. 12 - 22)
As you've recently had a baby this can cause hormones to go haywire and it may just need time for things to settle down. However, if a retest in, say, 3 months, shows similar results then it's possible you could be looking at Central Hypothyroidism which is indicated by low, normal or slightly elevated TSH and low FT4. Central Hypothyroidism is caused by a problem with the pituitary (Secondary Hypothyroidism) or the Hypothalamus (Tertiary Hypothyroidism). It's not as common as Primary Hypothyroidism which is where the problem lies with the thyroid gland and is diagosed when TSH is high (usually around 10) and FT4 is low. So I wouldn't jump to any conclusions at the moment, but I would retest in 3-4 months' time to see if levels have changed. Do any further thyroid tests no later than 9am, fast overnight from evening meal/supper, and drink water only before the test.
Vitamin D was 37.3 nmol/l which they said was low. I have bought supplements.
What supplements have you bought?
The Vit D Council recommends a level of 125nmol/L (50ng/ml) and the Vit D Society recommends a level of 100-150nmol/L (40-60ng/ml). Yours is 37.3nmol/L or 14.92ng/ml.
To reach the recommended level from your current level, based on the Vit D Council's suggestions you could supplement with 4,900iu D3 daily (nearest is 5,000iu)
When you've reached the recommended level then you'll need a maintenance dose to keep it there, which may be 2000iu daily, maybe more or less, maybe less in summer than winter, it's trial and error so it's recommended to retest once or twice a year to keep within the recommended range. You can do this with a private fingerprick blood spot test with an NHS lab which offers this test to the general public:
D3 aids absorption of calcium from food and K2-MK7 directs the calcium to bones and teeth where it is needed and away from arteries and soft tissues where it can be deposited and cause problems such as hardening of the arteries, kidney stones, etc.
D3 and K2 are fat soluble so should be taken with the fattiest meal of the day, D3 four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules/softgels, no necessity if using an oral spray
Magnesium helps D3 to work. We need Magnesium so that the body utilises D3, it's required to convert Vit D into it's active form. So it's important we ensure we take magnesium when supplementing with D3.
Magnesium comes in different forms, check to see which would suit you best and as it's calming it's best taken in the evening, four hours away from thyroid meds if taking tablets/capsules, no necessity if using topical forms of magnesium.
Check out the other cofactors too (some of which can be obtained from food).
Don't start all supplements at the same time. Start with one, leave it 1-2 weeks and if no adverse reaction then add the second one. Continue like this. If you have any reaction then you will know what caused it. Also check if any are contraindicated if you are breast feeding.
As for your iron panel, optimal results are
Serum iron: 55 to 70% of the range, higher end for men - yours is 34.3%
TIBC: Low in range indicates lack of capacity for additional iron, high in range indicates body's need for supplemental iron - yours is at the lower end at just 23% through range
Saturation: optimal is 35 to 45%, higher end for men - yours is slightly low at 30.58%
Ferritin: Low level virtually always indicates need for iron supplementation, high level with low serum iron/low saturation indicates inflammation or infection - yours is at a pretty good level. I've seen it said that a good level for females is 100-130 and that it needs to be over 70 for thyroid hormone (our own as well as replacement) to work properly.
If you have any concerns about your iron panel results, discuss them with your doctor. Don't self supplement with iron tablets.
The test was described as a fatigue and tired test and included Iron, B12, Vitamin D, and Thyroid but didnt include T3 or antibodies, however i have looked and there is a full thyroid test available which will test TSH, T3, T4, TGAB, and TPOAB. Would it be worthwhile purchasing this?
What is Central Hypothyroidsm? Is it serious and can it be treated? Im so worried after reading up on things. My mind is in overdrive, and with being a new mum all i want to be is as healthy as i can be.
I have bought vitamin D3 supplements 2000iu. Now i know that i need more than this i will need to up the dosage, i will have a read regarding magnesium and mk7 though before i do this though. Im taking a multivitamin aswell, should i stop this? There is a lot of information to take in and i don't know where to start!
With regards to my iron i had been having them checked quite regularly as i was low during pregnancy and so was taking iron supplements for a while. I suffered a post partum hemmorage during childbirth and lost a fair amount lot of blood so my iron went down. Did not need a transfusion but was told to continue taking 2 iron tablets a day (210mg Ferrous Fumarate). I stopped taking them probably about 2 months ago now as my doctor said my iron was now fine. Had bloods done last month again and was again told it was fine. I am not sure what the results were though. Going from the medichecks results though, should i be showing these to my Gp. Maybe i should still be taking some iron?
Glad you found your way here and have had such excellent advice from SeasideSusie - I didn't want to go into too much detail on the PAS Forum as it is primarily for B12/PA.
I think SS will have something to say about bleed after the Birth of your baby. I did mention on the PAS Forum that treating Central Hypo is the same as Primary. Also consider that anxiety can be caused - by Low Thyroid - Low B12 - Low Iron and Low VitD - so you have a Full House Stick with this Forum and follow the advice and you will be well in no time ...
What is Central Hypothyroidsm? Is it serious and can it be treated? Im so worried after reading up on things. My mind is in overdrive, and with being a new mum all i want to be is as healthy as i can be.
I explained above that Central Hypothyroidism is caused by a problem with the pituitary (Secondary Hypothyroidism) or the Hypothalamus (Tertiary Hypothyroidism). I also said that because hormones can go out of whack after childbirth then nothing is certain at this stage and wait another 3-4 months to see if your levels change. If they are still the same then it will be time for further investigation.
If TSH is low, normal or slightly elevated with a low FT4 (and that may mean a below range or bottom of range, depending on the doctor) then further tests should be carried out. As I don't have Central Hypothyroidism, I don't know exactly what tests will be done to confirm where the problem stems from but investigations for the doctor to consider are listed in the BMJ article.
I believe the treatment is with Levothyroxine, same as primary hypothyroidism, but as I said, I have no experience of Central Hypothyroidism.
If you want to read up further here are a couple of articles, but again I will emphasise that you should not assume this is any kind of diagnosis, it is purely a possibility if your levels remain the same when tested in 3-4 months time.
As you are having B12 injections, I'm assuming Folate level has been checked? That would complete the set of nutrient testing always advised here - Vit D, B12, Folate, Ferritin.
The full thyroid panel would include TSH, FT4, FT3, TPO and Tg antibodies so it may well be worth doing that test.
Im taking a multivitamin aswell, should i stop this?
They're generally not a good idea. They tend to contain too little of anything to help improve low levels, often contain the wrong form and least absorbable of active ingredients, and also tend to contain things we should test for and only supplement if deficient - eg calcium, iodine, iron. If it does contain iron then it will affect the absorption of everything else as iron needs to be taken 2 hours away from any other supplements and medication (some need 4 hours).
There is a lot of information to take in and i don't know where to start!
Just keep re-reading, make notes, refer back to them. It will sink in eventually.
Going from the medichecks results though, should i be showing these to my Gp. Maybe i should still be taking some iron?
Iron is complicated. I'm not an expert which is why I've given you the optimal levels which come from this article
I can't tell you what to do. Your ferritin is good which doesn't suggest you need to supplement with iron tablets which might take your ferritin too high. Your TIBC is low in range which, if you look at what I've quoted, tells you that you don't need to supplement iron. If you have any concerns then discuss them with your GP, he has your past history.
Your B12 is being dealt with, check your folate level, and make improving Vit D level a priority.
Thank you. I think i will purchase the full Thyroid Test to get a full picture. Just to add i had my Thyroid checked whilst pregnant and was told it was fine, but i don't know what exactly was tested and what results were. As you said though, I will retest in a few months to see how things are, if the same I will investigate further.
I'm not sure if Folate levels were checked, i assume so as they checked my B12 level but i can double check this and ask Gp.
Often a bleed after the birth of a baby can affect the Pituitary Gland. This is the gland that secretes the Thyroid Stimulating Hormone and tells your Thyroid to produce T4 - the storage hormone. I do not wish to cause you additional stress but I do think your GP should do more investigations - and although Sheehans Syndrome is described as rare on some sites it can and does happen. The link I looked at did describe the other tests needed - but as usual it was American.
It would explain why both the TSH and the FT4 are LOW in range ... be mindful of the sites you read - I'm sure you are
I did look into this when looking online. However i don't seem to have many of the common symptoms i.e hair loss, low blood pressure, absent/irregular periods. I have PCOS so periods have always been very irreguler and if anything they have improved since giving birth. However i am not ruling anything out so it is worth mentioning. I am seeing my GP next week, obviously have a lot to talk about. Hope i don't get fobbed off and am taken seriously. I have also purchased the full Thyroid checks from medichecks as the test includes T3 and antibodies. If i am unsure of results i will post them) Until then i will concentrate on sorting vitamin D levels out as that needs sorting.
If i may ask one more question as i am looking into getting MK7 supplement. From reading, am i right in thinking 90- 100mcg is the correct dosage if i am taking around 5000 D3? Is there a preferred brand there are hundreds to choose from and i haven't even looked at magnesium yet!
If i may ask one more question as i am looking into getting MK7 supplement. From reading, am i right in thinking 90- 100mcg is the correct dosage if i am taking around 5000 D3?
Yes, l have read that 90-100mcg is fine for up to 10,000iu D3.
I have used 2 brands of Vit K2-MK7 supplements up to now. Healthy Origins softgels (just MK7 and extra virgin olive oil)
I like both those brands as they don't have any unnecessary ingredients/nasties. Also they are oil based and Vit K2-MK7 is a fat soluble vitamin so needs fat to be absorbed. The drops can be taken sublingually so can be taken anytime. The softgels I'd take with a meal with some fat, I used to take them with a full fat yogurt.
Oh dear I have just run out of K2 so unable to share the dose I take. The dose you mention will be fine I'm sure. If you click onto SeasideSusie in blue print you can access all her posts and replies about vitamins and minerals. She gives a link to all the various types of Magnesium. I live in Crete and use a Greek one !
Having looked through the various types of magnesium i can not find info regarding the dosage i should be taking alomg with d2 mk7. I've researched that you should not take anymore than 350mg? So much to learn ☺
When you have chosen one - follow the dosage instructions for that particular brand ... would be my take ! There are also spray oils by Better You and of course Epsom Salt baths !
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